Canis Majoris
by izzykirk
Summary: Sirius Black had been a seventeen year old since he turned twelve. He was the boy your mother warned you about: everything you wanted and nothing you needed. Sirius Black was risk and excitement. He was heartbreak that hurt so good you wanted more. Sirius Black was the one night stand that left you empty. He was every romantic's dream and I hated him. Marauders era: SBxOC & JPxLE
1. Chapter 1

First fic WOW

summary: yet another marauders retelling. beware swear words and most likely lemons

disclaimer: I am not J.K. seeing as I would never ship Harmonie in any other way besides a strong bromance

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_"Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking, his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed."_

**Canis Majoris**

Chapter 1

I was in the middle of Platform 9 ¾ in the beginning of my first year and it was humid. I could feel the steam of the Hogwarts express on my arms although I knew in reality it was just a memory. In front of me I saw— well I saw myself, and my grandmother. We were saying goodbye.

"You'll be fine," she said, her dark blue eyes meeting their mirror in mine.

I followed the younger me onto the train, turning around to say goodbye although the gran in my memory looked straight through me.

I managed to find a compartment that was empty save for a boy already in his uniform. He was thoroughly enveloped in a book, a pair of pale hands and a wisp of light brown hair the only things visible behind the large volume. I wasn't offended he hadn't introduced himself or even looked up; I was actually a bit glad. I didn't know what these magic folk were like except for what I'd seen in Diagon Alley and that'd been a very uncomfortable experience. My gran had laughed the whole ride home at my complete state of disarray. What I wanted to know was how she was the muggle and I was the one who'd nearly fainted at the sight of goblins. They should really make a pamphlet for muggleborns on what to expect so as to save people like me from shame when their sixty something year old grandmother calls them a wimp.

I sat down next to the reading boy and younger me went to pull out a book I hadn't had time to read through over the summer. Propping her legs up on the cushioned bench of the compartment and leaning against the window she flipped through the pages until coming to a stop somewhere in the middle.

Outside the window I saw that we were speeding by an ocean of trees. Every now and again there would be a small village or a break in the green, but for the most part we were surrounded by countryside. It was odd seeing the landscape like this, so untouched. It had only been six years since this time and yet everything was different.

An hour went by before anyone said anything and it was only because the trolley lady had come by with food. The boy put his book down and got up to pick out a few things. Younger me thought of buying something, but only had a small amount of the strange wizard money and was fearful of running out and so she went back to reading.

While younger me read about the breeding of dragons, I read the boy. He had a few scars on his face and was very small, and he seemed older than eleven, but even as a child Remus was already levelheaded and wise beyond his years.

With an obvious need to summon a bit of courage, he stuck out his hand. "I'm Remus Lupin."

Younger me looked up, smiled over the top of the book, and reached out to shake his hand. "Katherine… Kit. Kit Collins. Please don't call me Katherine"

I rolled my eyes at my younger self, feeling embarrassed and wondering if everyone found my voice as annoying as I did.

"Kit it is." Remus declared, the grin on his face seeming to erase his scars. "I bought too much." He stated. "Do you want a chocolate frog?"

I nodded, pretending I knew what the hell it was. However, when I screamed after the frog jumped out of the card box Remus looked so frightened I began to laugh. "Of course the bloody frog moves!" I exclaimed.

It was only a few seconds after Remus had joined in the laughter that the compartment door slammed open.

"Oi! What's going on in here?" demanded someone who I now knew as James Potter. He was our age except with probably twice the hair and rounded spectacles. All I had thought then was how he exuded such pride while wearing glasses similar to the kind my granddad wore on bingo nights.

Behind him was another head of black hair except shaggier and with a slight wave to it. Sirius Black. He stepped forward now, pushing his way into the compartment. At eleven he was the prettiest boy I'd ever seen. "James it's that boy we met earlier, Loopy."

"Lupin." Remus interjected although neither had heard him.

James pressed forward, pushing his spectacles farther up his nose. "What's that scream we heard earlier? Some trouble here?" Looking at me he flashed a wry grin before throwing on a terrible American accent in a poor attempt at imitating a cowboy from one of those western flicks "Do you need any assistance ma'am?"

I had to remember to tease James about this later.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Go away."

James turned to Sirius looking aghast. "Go away? _Go away_?" Moving to the side of Remus' seat that was not covered with candy he sat and put an arm around his shoulders. "You know what Lupin, me and my buddy Sirius we like you. You told us to go away and that's important, we need someone like you, wouldn't you say Sirius?"

Sirius agreed and I moved over—although I didn't have to—so he could sit down next to younger me. "Yeah you see me and James we're just too similar. He likes motorbikes. I like motorbikes. I like chicks, he thinks he loves one—"

"I do!" James hollered "I love her already and we will get married and Sirius you'll be best man."

Sirius snorted. "Anyway what do you reckon Lupin? Would you like to join our band of merry men?" Beside Remus, James shook his head in furious agreement.

I expected Remus to be annoyed because they were fairly obnoxious, but he only looked amused. "What about Kit?"

"Who?" James asked.

Remus nodded to where I was sat. "Kit."

James looked at me as if he'd forgotten I was there. "Why do we need her?"

I covered my eyes, not wanting to see younger me begin to blush. It was the first time I'd ever talked to wizards my age and it was obvious now how much I'd been overanalyzing the situation then.

I peeked through my fingers to watch Sirius regard younger me with disdain "We don't." He said in finality. "Welcome to the group Remus."

"We're thinking about names." James said excitedly.

Remus shot younger me an apologetic look in between their chatter, but I wasn't particularly upset. I didn't care for the two and I figured that I had already made one friend that day. I didn't need two more.

I went back to reading and had gotten another four pages in when it went silent. Glancing up I met the cool grey eyes of Sirius. "Enjoying your book?"

Younger me nodded and I returned my face to behind my hands, not remembering how this played out but fearing the worst.

"Could you enjoy it elsewhere?"

"Excuse me?"

"We want you to leave, we're having a group meeting."

Younger me felt her palms begin to clam up. I was rubbish at these sorts of situations. "Have it somewhere else then."

"I'd prefer it if you left."

"Sounds like a personal problem," I retorted, completely shocking younger and older me at how quick I was managing to respond without stuttering or getting red and embarrassed. I figured it was all the television I'd been watching over the summer that had added a new dynamic to my speech. I had to write my grandmother as soon as possible to tell her that her investment in the new television had been beneficial after all.

James was now snickering quite loudly. "Leave it mate she bested you, she can stay."

Sirius glared but did as James requested, and I would have been content with staying there just to get further under his skin, but their conversation started to get distractingly loud and I really did need to finish that book.

Taking my robes out of my trunk I slid out of the compartment, probably unnoticed by the three boys who might've been long lost brothers or childhood friends by the speed with which they had bonded. I mean they'd met each other today and already James had told them—and me sort of—his whole life story. I was also starting to gather that that was just how James was: completely unabashed and filled to the brim with self-confidence.

Changing into the robes was confusing and frustrating and I had to hang my head in embarrassment many times. In the end younger me managed to get it on correctly, although the robes were far too long and I needed to hold them to keep from stumbling.

Walking back to the compartment I ran my thumb along the crest on the black tie of the uniform. One of the girls in the bathroom had told me they change after 'the sorting', whatever that meant.

I was trying really hard to understand magic, but I didn't have much to base it off of other than _bewitched_ and that was little help considering she didn't even use a wand.

Drifting along the navy carpet of the train's interior I saw a group of girls with black ties like mine all sitting in a compartment together. Figuring it would after all be useful to make more than one friend today, younger me went in and I trailed behind.

I was introduced to a blonde called Robin Finch whose name was very bothersome both then and now. A redhead named Lily Evans who was also a muggleborn, and lastly a small thing with a heavy Irish accent named Barbara Higgins. These girls along with Mary MacDonald were sorted into Gryffindor along with me, and unfortunately Sirius Black and company.

The scene changed as I skipped through the next few years, which went by without much significance.

In second year I made the quidditch team and surprise! So did Sirius and James. This began to Sirius' great dislike, a friendship between James and I who both shared an interest in telling bad jokes. I hadn't expected to become good friends with Potter but the truth was James was a very easy person to get along with due to his good-natured personality. However there was no convincing Lily of that. On a daily basis she referred to him as not only the 'foulest creature on Earth' but also 'a toerag' and a few other unseemly names she reserved for private rants about James Potter in the dormitory. Mary and I had learned to just pretend we were listening to her rants as most of the time she was just shouting at the ceiling expecting us to say 'right' every few sentences.

Out of the marauders, a name which they had given themselves sometime around third year, I was closest to Remus. We usually studied in the library on days where he could get away from his pals and Lily would often join us, but her presence would attract James who was antonymous with the library.

There was also a fourth member of their group, Peter Pettigrew and I was convinced he was only in their group because James felt sorry for him. I think Sirius did as well as he always let the chubby kid follow him around. I'd tried on multiple occasions to speak to him but had fallen short of conversational topics after the third or fourth sentence every time. I don't know how James and Sirius managed it.

Sirius had become something of a sex symbol by our sixth year. The uncanny good looks he'd had since probably before birth had manifested into rugged handsomeness over the summer of fifth year. There was a rumor that he'd been with almost every girl in and above our grade and I didn't really doubt it. He'd had only one relationship that was ever openly public from what I'd heard, and it was with a veela in Spain whom he'd met on holiday. Apparently he had to break it off after she got upset with him for being prettier than her and attempted to kill him.

There were many rumors revolving around Sirius. Some of them were true: he was the first Black not sorted into Slytherin, he did have a motorbike, and he did live with James. There was also the rumor that he was an asshole and that one was my favorite because it was also true; he was a total asshole.

I think it's a bit unhealthy how much I hate Sirius, but in my defense he hates me right back. Once McGonagall had no choice but to suspend us from the quidditch team as the common room had been nearly blown open after one particularly nasty duel. I think the only reason Lily could tolerate my friendship with James was simply because I hated Sirius so much. I think she figured that as long as I hated something James loved, I was in some way hating James.

By the end of sixth year we had established a nonverbal agreement to just avoid each other. It was partly because it was tiring yelling at someone everyday and also because James had gotten to the point of frustrated tears on multiple occasions screaming at us for getting detention on the days of quidditch matches. James took three things very seriously and those things were quidditch, the marauders and Lily. I often ponder what it's like inside James' head and figure it's probably refreshing in its simplicity.

I can count on one hand, specifically two fingers, how many times Sirius and I have had a conversation that wasn't toxic from start to finish. The first occasion was the time we had hexed each other so badly we were in the hospital wing for a week and unable to talk due to a broken jaw and a missing tongue, respectively. The second occasion was the one beginning to take form in front of me.

It was a couple days ago, James was patrolling with Lily on his first night of being head boy and Remus and Peter had had a late night astronomy class to view some important star that only came out once a decade. I'd been finishing a potions essay in the common room when Sirius threw himself onto the couch I was sitting on.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"No." I hadn't even bothered to look up. Usually if I ignored Sirius long enough he'd just give up and leave. Occasionally though he'd pester me until I had to respond, sadly this was one of those times.

"You didn't even hear it!" he protested, brows furrowing.

I sighed, putting my quill down. "You're right, please tell me." I folded my hands together and leaned forward in mock interest.

"Not if you're going to be so fucking sarcastic." He said venomously.

"Fine with me."

The common room was starting to thin out as it was nearing midnight. Only a few people were left and most of them were other seventh years trying to cram Slughorn's essay in at the last minute as well. I probably shouldn't have procrastinated, but the workload was so burdensome this year I was beginning to think it was on purpose; that the professors were trying to distract us from what was happening in the outside world by assigning ridiculous amounts of homework. It was either that or they were literally trying to kill us before _he _did.

"Collins c'mon please just hear me out."

I sighed, leaning back into the sofa. "Using please are we? Oh it must be good." Sirius was visibly annoyed which I found endlessly entertaining both in the memory and out of it. We hadn't argued in over a week and the sick person that I am, I missed it a little bit.

He rolled his eyes before speaking. "You know that lovely young lady who lives in your dorm?"

"Lily?"

"No."

"Barbara?"

"No."

I paused, arching an eyebrow "…_Mary_?"

"Finch!" he shouted, attracting the attention of the few left in the common room.

"What about her?" I asked, attempting to mask my annoyance. I had nothing against Robin Finch really other than the fact that her name was so storybook perfect it made my toes curl and also that she had the worst opinions and was full of ridiculous conspiracy theories and on top of everything had kissed a boy I'd liked in fourth year.

"I want you to tell her I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Just tell her!"

"No."

Sirius let his face fall into his hands. "Why can't you just do this one thing I ask?" he mumbled from inside his palms.

"I'm not going to help someone I hate get a shag. That seems pretty thick don't you agree?" I also didn't like talking to Robin because she always commented on how my 'Scottish accent was so exotic'. She was the most annoying person at Hogwarts, and that was including Snivellus.

I attempted to go back to my essay; something I was starting to realize was pointless, as Sirius had now began to emit a deep-throated chuckle. "What's so funny?" I asked, once again interrupted in my homework.

Sirius looked up brandishing a wide grin. "It's just odd hearing you say shag is all."

"I'd imagine it's weird hearing me say anything that isn't an insult."

"I suppose that's true yeah." Sirius turned on the couch and propped an elbow up to rest his chin on, watching me with that curious expression that drove me mad even now while still only in the memory.

"Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

Reaching behind me for one of the couch cushions I hurled it at him. "You're not as funny as you think you are."

He caught it with the ease of someone who's played quidditch for years and tossed it to the side. "Well you're not as witty as you think _you_ are."

I squinted my eyes in irritation, making choking motions with my hands. He threw up an obscene gesture in response.

"Did you even do your essay?" I asked, rolling up my parchment. I'd decided that my missing inch of writing would just have to stay missing. I mean there are only so many things you can say about toadstools.

He shrugged his frustratingly well-defined shoulders through the jumper he was wearing. "They're giving us busywork on purpose, I'm not going to do it."

I pursed my lip. "Don't you want to pass your N.E.W.T.s?"

Sirius barked out a laugh that was riddled with cynicism. "What for? I want to be an auror and I don't imagine the ministry is in a position to reject me even if I score poorly on some pointless exams."

I tried to find something to critique about his statement but I couldn't. Turning away from him I brought my knees up to my chest, watching the flames flicker in the fireplace, lost in thought.

Sirius was right although I'd be loath to admit it aloud. Since he-who-must-not-be-named had risen to power things had changed drastically for the worse. My granddad said that evils like him never won, that he'd fought against a menace like that before and that this war would undoubtedly end, but in the warmth of the common room I felt cold with fear. Everyday his power grew. Even now in the safety of Hogwarts he was present in his devoted followers. He was present in the daily prophet headlines listing the names of the murdered and in the hollowed eyes of the students who tried their best to pretend they weren't afraid.

I don't know how long we sat there silently staring at the fire. We must've missed the return of James and Lily from their patrol and Remus and Peter from their astronomy class, as it was nearly two in the morning by the time I got up to leave. I chastised myself on the way to the girls' dormitory, already regretful of not going to sleep earlier.

I was at the staircase when Sirius called after me. "I think that's the longest we've gone without arguing." He said although it was without any allusion to whether or not he found that a good thing or not.

"Don't spoil it."

There was a sense of being pulled up out of water and I was back in my potions class. The gloom of the dungeons were a stark contrast to the warmth of the common room I'd just been in and I felt like I'd just been abruptly awaken from a dream.

Around me others' heads were beginning to emerge from their cauldron as well, looking much the same as I imagine I looked although one or two had a blue coloring to their face that Professor Slughorn had warned would be the result if the potion had not been made properly.

Slughorn was a round man in a suit the shade of pale yellow, improper for the beginning of September. He was also balding on the top of his head but refused to let it just happen, something James and I talked about frequently. I don't understand how Lily could consider him one of her favorite teachers.

"What's the point of making this stupid potion anyway?" mumbled a frustrated James who was very blue in the face. Next to him Sirius was laughing hysterically as he had been the one who tampered with his potion.

"I thought this would be a fun little treat for everyone before the weekend." Slughorn replied, giving Sirius a pointed look. "

Lily who'd just emerged from her cauldron had to cover her mouth to stifle her own giggles. "This is the best thing that's happened to me this month." She said to me, shaking with laughter.

"Since Mr. Black has decided not to take our experiment with the minor pensieve potion seriously, I will need twelve inches on what you saw in the cauldron—or in the case of Mr. Potter, what you did wrong."

There was a collective groan from the classroom which Slughorn ignored as he dismissed us for dinner.

"I've got to get something from the dorm, I'll catch up to you." Lily told me once we'd reached the entrance hall. She started up the marble staircase and James followed her, protesting that he was not following her he was actually on his way to the hospital wing to fix his face.

I shook my head and headed towards the great hall. After a few steps I heard the clatter of footfalls I'd learned to associate with Sirius coming up behind me. Appearing by my side, I noted he had loosened his school tie and undid the first few buttons of his shirt but looked no less alluring. I gathered it was from years of being a high society pureblood.

"Do you remember the time in third year when Snivellus called you a mudblood and Lily wouldn't believe you after you told her?" He asked, catching me off guard as I'd expected to hear something offensive.

"Yes," I replied warily. I wondered why he'd brought it up, Lily and I had settled that score last year when she herself had been called a mudblood by him. After the initial hurt she'd apologized to me for years of thinking I was a liar. I'd forgotten about it, but Lily wasn't the type to forget. Once Mary MacDonald had called James fit and Lily would not let it go for the longest.

"I was the one that hexed him."

I stopped in my tracks. "You're the one that made him look like Pinocchio?" We were at the entrance to the great hall now and I was getting disgruntled looks from people who had to walk around us.

"Yes I was." He said proudly, his hands in his pockets.

"You asshole! I had to serve detention for a week because McGonagall blamed it on me!" I stormed into the hall and he trailed behind with a cheeky grin on his face.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table opposite Barbara who was watching our exchange with silent intrigue. "A thank you would've been appropriate." He said, taking a seat beside me.

Sirius began to pile food onto his plate, ignoring me as I glowered at him. "You're insufferable." I turned to Barbara for support but she just shook her head. Barbara had this theory that Sirius and I enjoyed to rile each other up and therefore felt no sympathy for me when he'd get on my nerves. I suppose there was some truth to it, but I hated him regardless.

Sirius Black was the bane of my existence.

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okay wow okay so really nervous about this. I'm not good at finishing things and I have no idea if this is even worth finishing. I was planning on making this a pretty decent sized fic like somewhere around fourty chapters. Please let me know what you thought as I have had no feedback thus far and would really appreciate some. Honestly like just a simple "bad" would even be helpful.

Also if you are interested in being a beta for this fic I definitely need one so please let me know.

okay thank you for reading and please review


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: still don't ship Harmonie.

*I am aware it is not canon for Sirius to play quidditch. However, it really makes a lot more sense for him to I mean?

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**Canis Majoris**

Chapter 2

James and Sirius were poised at the front of the transfiguration class, neither having the decency to look ashamed. "Explain to me Mr. Potter exactly why you decided to appear in my class late and without your coursework." Said an extremely frustrated Professor McGonagall.

James darted out his tongue to wet his lips before speaking. "I did do my course work," He explained, the mischievous smirk forming on his countenance mirroring the one already present on Sirius.

McGonagall looked very peeved, her lips pursed tightly together in the way she reserved almost exclusively for James and Sirius. "Where is it then Potter?" she said brusquely, her beady eyes livid behind her squared spectacles.

James took an exaggerated sigh, his eyes traveling around the classroom and lingering on Remus who was sat beside me shaking his head profusely.

"My dog ate it."

Sirius snorted loudly and ran a hand over his face, trying without much success to keep from laughing. After seven years I'd deliberated that the two of them could fine quite possibly anything the other said funny.

"And I'm assuming this dog ate Black's as well?" she asked, voice rich with an abundance of sarcasm.

"No Professor I don't think Black even did his."

McGonagall looked ready to either swing her wand or a fist. "I have had quite enough of your idiocy for one day, five points from Gryffindor."

Behind her the class groaned. We were already twenty points behind the Hufflepuffs, which we'd tied for last place the week before.

"I expected more from you as head boy, but perhaps I had misjudged your capabilities." She said sourly, giving him the same look my gran gave me whenever I was in trouble; the disappointed face that makes you feel like scum. "Get out both of you."

The two of them rushed out, running into a few desks along the way.

McGonagall scowled after them with her hands folded sternly across her chest.

"I told him it wasn't a funny joke." Remus muttered to his book as the class continued. I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow but he ignored me.

Remus and I attempted with little success to turn our quills into doves. I'd always been rubbish at transfiguration, but Remus hadn't and so it was odd that he was having so much trouble. "You feeling alright?" I asked.

He did look a bit pale today—well paler than usual. However, Remus seemed to always have an off week every month; He was just so prone to sickness. I remember in our earlier years at school he was always in the hospital wing.

"Yeah I'm fine why do you ask?"

I shook my head. "No reason." I'd learned by now that Remus despised pity of any kind.

Eventually we gave up on the lesson and elected to spend the last fifteen minutes of class discussing the upcoming quidditch tryouts. Remus didn't play quidditch himself but he was always game for talking statistics.

"Are you going up for seeker again?" Remus asked me on our way to lunch.

I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder, it's weight a reminder of the excessive workload I had this year. "I dunno. I didn't have a chance to practice at all this summer."

Remus led us to an empty spot at one of the four glossy wooden tables. "I think you should do it, you're good."

I scoffed, "I'm mediocre."

"You're not mediocre."

"Yes you are." Sirius said taking the seat next to Remus while James took the one across from him.

I rolled my eyes. "Nice going getting kicked out of class."

James grinned at me like it'd been a compliment. "It was a pretty good joke wasn't it boys?"

"Classic." Sirius said. Remus only shook his head and Peter who'd just arrived was looking for someone to explain what he'd missed.

"Thanks Black you always know how to make me feel special."

Sirius shooed him away coyly. "Oh stop it you."

"Anyway what's this I hear about you being mediocre?" James asked turning back to me.

"Nothing."

"Quidditch," Remus interjected "says she's mediocre." I shot him a venomous look for his betrayal.

James laughed into his goblet of juice. "You?" he asked, coughing a bit. "That's rubbish you're a brilliant quidditch player."

I felt myself smile; secretly proud that James thought I was a more than adequate quidditch player. It was no secret that James himself was brilliant at quidditch, I even speculated that had this war not been going on he might've pursued being a professional player.

"You'll be at tryouts tomorrow won't you?" James asked with a pointed look. As mentioned before, James was serious about quidditch.

I shrugged. I didn't feel I had the time for quidditch anymore. I was having trouble as it was just trying to pass my N.E.W.T. classes. It didn't seem likely that I could balance quidditch in the midst as well. "I dunno."

James chuckled, not seeming to get it. "Well you have to show up for me to put you on the team"

I looked to Remus to explain but he was conveniently talking to Peter about herbology. "James I wasn't planning on being on the team this year."

"Sorry love, I can't understand you. I don't speak troll."

Sirius chuckled, "Mate if she doesn't want to be on the team it's fine."

"No!" James exclaimed. "Sirius, tell her she has to be on the team!"

"Collins you have to be on the team." Sirius said loaded with mock sincerity.

"No."

By now Lily and the rest of the girls had joined us. "What's going on?" Mary asked.

"Collins is trying to worm her way out of the team." Sirius provided, leering with amusement.

"Kit no, you're really good you have—" Lily began with her reprimanding face on.

"Alright!" I exclaimed, annoyed that this had become an actual discussion. "You win James I'll go just shutup, and someone please make Black stop fucking smirking like that."

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Later that night I was lying on Lily's bed, flipping through the muggle magazines she ordered each month. "This would look good on you." I told her, pointing out a very attractive emerald dress. "It would match your eyes."

Lily looked up from her reading and wrinkled her nose. "I'm not fond of that cut."

I shrugged, going back to the magazine. "So I was thinking—"

"Surprise surprise." Lily muttered. I scowled at her just as Robin stormed into the room, Barbara appearing right after and slamming the door behind her. I looked warily at Lily who only shrugged. Barbara and Robin seemed to always be at each other's throats.

"It's none of your business Barbara why can't you keep your damn nose out of it?" Robin shouted, going over to her bed and sitting down, her perpetual frown seeming to have fused to her face like a mask.

"Excuse me for tryin' to help!" Barbara retorted, snowy features ablaze with fury. "Merlin, you're such a twat sometimes."

Robin stood up, wand in hand as Barbara drew nearer. "What did you call me?"

"A twat. T-W-A—" With a bang Barbara's corkscrew white-blonde hair went flying across the room.

"Robin!" Lily shouted, getting out of bed.

I got out of bed as well, going over to hold Barbara back as she was on her feet now and rushing at Robin, wand forgotten. "Bloody hell would you two calm down!"

"I'll rip your fucking face off!" Barbara promised, her Irish accent thickening along with her rage.

Lily had come in between the two as well, her head girl badge seeming to glisten with authority. "The next one to throw a hex is getting a week of detention."

"Oh fuck off Lily, you know she's bein' a twat" Barbara said, shoving me to get out of her way although I wouldn't relent.

"What are you two even arguing about?" I asked, my own bias already affecting my thoughts on the situation. I'd take Barbara's side over Robin's indefinitely.

"Nothing." Robin spat, pushing past Lily and out of the dorm, the door slamming again.

Lily had her hands on her hips; an expression similar to the one McGonagall wore earlier that day prevalent on her much younger face. "What the hell is going on Barbara?"

She ran a hand through her frizzled hair. "All I was tryin' to do was help the poor idiot."

"Well she obviously did not see it that way." I said, letting go of her.

"Because she's a tw—"

Lily cut her off with a raised hand. "Merlin help me if you say twat one more time Barbara."

Barbara rolled her eyes and went over to her bed—the one furthest from the window. "I was just trying to help." She told us, changing into her pyjamas.

"With what?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said, pulling the curtains closed around her in finality.

I looked at Lily for an explanation and she shrugged as lost as I was. Lily attempted to get Barbara to talk but she only charmed her curtains not to open and we eventually gave up, going back to what we'd been doing before their interruption. I sat down on Lily's bed, opening the magazine to where I'd left off.

:

Nervous was an understatement as I suited up after dinner the next day. I'd had to leave charms early due to nearly burning off my robes. I didn't know what my problem was. I'd been on the team since second year and never felt nervous before.

The autumn wind was brisk and cold against my cheeks and I inhaled it deeply, enjoying the cool air in my lungs. One thing I was sure to miss after graduating would definitely be the scenery. I'd always liked the outdoors and the dense forest and lake surrounding Hogwarts gave it this cabin-in-the-woods type of vibe. Although I suppose more accurate would be castle-in-the-woods.

We warmed up around the pitch for half an hour before James showed up—on time—to begin the tryouts. Sirius followed close behind, the two looking very smug in their maroon robes.

James blew a whistle and the thirty something of us that had shown up flew down to listen to the speech he'd now given two years in a row. It was Churchill's we will fight on the beaches, but improvised with quidditch terms.

After James was done Sirius stepped forward with a clipboard and a quill behind his left ear. "Alright I want chasers over here on my right, we're starting with you first."

I took a seat on the pitch, clenching my hands to keep them from shaking. James had the chasers do multiple repetitions across the width of the pitch, timing them with a stopwatch. I noted one or two who were good, but most of them were flying like it was new to them. One also looked more fitted for the role of a keeper, but that position was taken by Sirius who had once gone four games without a single goal being made on him.

James blew the whistle again and Sirius ordered the beaters up into the air, releasing a pair of bludgers he and James had originally charmed to be more lethal than most as a prank but made them the official 'training bludgers' after he figured they were making the beaters better players. Again there were only a few good candidates and I was starting to worry about the team this year. Hopefully James could charm something else to train them to be better players.

The seekers were last as the role of keeper was skipped. I was sure James might've skipped seeker as well if I hadn't made him mad the day before. There were four other people trying out for my position and I needed to grip my broom fiercely to keep my hands from shaking now.

"Okay we're going to let out the snitch now." James hollered from below, his gloved hand around the golden ball.

"3" I felt a bit lightheaded.

"2" My grip on the broom was beginning to slacken.

"1" James let the snitch go and I hurtled toward the ground.

The green of the pitch was getting closer and closer as I shot towards the earth. For a moment I thought I'd crash, but I managed to pull up just in time to steady myself. I sat there hovering for a minute, feeling my head spin. Above me the other seekers had stopped as well, confusion on their faces.

"What the fuck Collins, we're playing quidditch here not air ballet! Are you trying to get yourself hurt?" James yelled from across the pitch. Beside him Sirius was unreadable, probably wondering the same thing.

I tried to say something witty in response, but couldn't think of anything. Instead I threw up my right hand, brandishing my middle finger because in my left, which I now had opened, was the snitch.

I think that was the moment that James started to regard me with the same respect he gave his marauders.

He ran over and yanked me off my broom. "We're going to win that bloody cup!" He shouted, crushing me in his arms.

However, I still wasn't feeling well and when James let go I fell off my broom.

:

I woke up in the hospital wing a few hours later. Madam Pomfrey was yelling at James telling him he could come back in the morning and that no the force of his hug had not put me in the hospital wing. It took a while but he finally left and Madam Pomfrey came over to my bedside.

"Oh, you're awake." She said, sitting down in the chair beside me. I had always liked Madam Pomfrey; she was a kind witch. She was very stern when it came to her rules, but she was fair.

I sat up, but felt dizzy again and lay back down. "How long have I been out?"

She ran a cool hand over my head. "Not too long, maybe an hour or two." She tapped her wand against the back of her hand, looking at something that was apparently written across it. "You have a bit of a fever." She told me, "normally I would give you a potion and have you out of here by the morning, but I don't have one on hand and it's getting late."

Madam Pomfrey stood up and disappeared into her study. When she returned she had a glass of an orange liquid in her grasp. "Drink this." She ordered, handing it to me.

I looked at it warily. "What is it?"

The witch rolled her eyes. "Pumpkin juice."

I gave her a quizzical look.

"What're you staring at me for I told you to drink it." She said, hands on her hips.

I took a sip fearing the worst. However, it was actually pumpkin juice. "It's really pumpkin juice." I stated, a tad more obvious than usual thanks to the fever.

Madam Pomfrey looked utterly finished. "Of course it is. I told you it was pumpkin juice!" She said rambling back into her study, muttering something about children never listening.

I finished the glass and set it on the tableside when something caught my eye.

_Padfoot_

It was carved into the side of the table in a neat scrawl I wouldn't have guessed to be his. I figured it must've been from the time Sirius and I had spent a week in the hospital wing during our fourth year after disfiguring each other in a duel. I don't know why, but I found myself smiling.

I ran my finger over the letters, wondering what Padfoot meant anyway. The marauders—as they preferred to be called—all had strange nicknames that seemed to be completely random. I had inferred that they came up with them while drunk, but they were almost sort of personal to the boys. I recalled a time where Davey, a beater on the team, had called James by his special name and James had jinxed him for it.

James was so bloody strange. They were all strange except for Remus who was in my opinion an angel by comparison.

The next morning Lily came by with breakfast and ate it with me. She had apparently spent the whole night talking to James about what had happened and he hadn't asked her once to be his girlfriend. I didn't dare ask her why she included that into things that had annoyed her about the encounter.

Lily also brought me some of my books that she'd figured I'd want to read during my bed rest. I definitely didn't, but I thanked her anyway.

She then told me what Barbara and Robin had been fighting over the other night. "Apparently Robin and Black were a bit of an item although she never mentioned it to me. Did she tell you?" Lily asked

I shook my head, motioning for her to go on.

Lily took my untouched plate and her own and set them aside so she could sit on the bed next to me. I played with the ends of her long red hair, as was our custom while she continued. "So they were seeing each other—well all of each other if you know what I mean. And so this was going on since the end of last term right? Then earlier this week Robin was walking past the broom closet on the third floor landing when she hears…" Lily paused to look around for anyone else in the white walled hospital wing before continuing. "She hears 'oh Sirius!" coming from the closet and so she opens it and d'you know what she saw?"

I sat up, enthralled in the story now. "What Lily, just tell me. I hate when you do this."

Lily giggled and leaned closer. "She saw Marlene McKinnon and Sirius…" Lily then trailed off and made some lewd motions.

I felt my face heat up and blamed it on the fever. "McKinnon?" Marlene McKinnon was a Hufflepuff in our grade who had been fully developed sometime around fifth year. She was a nice girl and I had nothing against her, unlike Robin who I had trouble being near.

Lily nodded, checking her watch. "I know right? They're perfect for each other."

"Okay but how does Barbara fit into all of this?"

"Barbara was walking past right as it happened." Lily said standing up to swing her bag over her shoulder. "She told me they'd hardly noticed Robin yank open the door until she screamed."

"Wait so Black and McKinnon they're a thing?" I asked, sitting all the way up.

"Well yeah. This morning I saw them holding hands on the way to the great hall."

I sat back feeling repulsed.

"You alright?" Lily asked, a calculating expression on her face.

"Yeah I'm fine."

Lily gave me another calculated look and promised to be back for lunch before bounding off to class, her dark red hair taking all the color in the room with her.

:

Later James came for dinner. He brought along Remus and a tray of food, which I was happy to eat. Madam Pomfrey had finished the potion an hour ago and I had regained my appetite.

After eating we went on to talk about quidditch. James said that the day had gone smoothly and he was fairly certain of who he wanted for the team. There was a blonde second year and a redheaded sixth year he wanted as chasers. When asked why, he said because they were the best out of the bunch and because the redhead reminded him of Lily. He was also keeping Davey as a beater and adding a fifth year named Victoria.

I congratulated him on his choices and he, as usual, let the compliment get to his head. "Well it is such a struggle being captain as well as head boy yaknow?" He told me, stretching out on his chair. "I almost feel guilty having these good looks to go with it."

Remus shoved him and he fell out of his chair, popping right back up with his trademark grin.

"How are you feeling though, Kit?" Remus asked.

"Better."

"Do you know when you'll be out?" James asked.

I shrugged. "Probably by tomorrow."

"Alright then Moony, Kitty-Cat. I've got to go and patrol for scoundrels and troublemakers." He said standing up from his chair. "I'm letting you off with a warning this time Lupin, but next time you need to leave the hospital wing prior to curfew so as to not be caught in the halls."

"It's only seven thirty." Remus stated with a raised eyebrow.

"No sass needed thank you Moony that will be a point from Gryffindor for insolence." James called back on his way out of the hospital wing.

Remus and I stared after him, his swaggering figure disappearing out of the doorframe. "A galleon says it's something to do with Lily." I told Remus, holding out my hand for him to shake.

"A galleon says he's going to meet Lily."

I looked at Remus as if he'd gone mad but shook his hand anyway, figuring I'd just made myself a galleon

"So," I began, lying down. "I hear Sirius and McKinnon are an item now."

"I wouldn't exactly use the word 'item' to describe them." Remus said.

"Oh no?" I asked, absentmindedly running my finger over the etching on the tableside again.

"No. I haven't the slightest idea what he's doing, but I know for a fact that he isn't serious about her."

I smiled "So what you're saying is Sirius isn't very Serious about her then?"

Remus ignored me as if I hadn't said anything. After seven years no one really found that joke funny anymore besides Sirius. "Yes, he isn't serious, but she is."

I stopped my tracing. If I hadn't been the wiser already, I'd have suspected Remus said the last bit with a hint of displeasure. However, I'd known since third year that Remus liked Marlene and kept it to myself. Remus was always very sheltered about his feelings and I didn't want him to feel vulnerable by telling him I knew his secret.

I wondered if Sirius knew Remus' secret as well. I couldn't picture him shacking up with her if he did, but I also couldn't picture him not knowing how Remus felt—James and Peter possibly, but not Sirius. He was very perceptive regardless of the brainless façade he often wore.

"Kit?" Remus said possibly for the second or third time, as I had been miles away, lost in my own train of thought.

"Yes what is it sorry I was thinking."

"Of what?"

"The moon." I lied.

Remus blinked a few times though I did not notice. "What about it?"

"When the full moon is."

"Tomorrow."

I yawned, "interesting."

Remus nodded, smiling at some private joke.

"So do you think Sirius will be dating her for long if he doesn't really like her?"

Remus shrugged, the smile gone. "I suppose so. He's never been one to care how he got his er, needs, fulfilled if you know what I mean."

I furrowed my brow "Someone should tell her."

Remus opened up the transfiguration book by my bedside. "Oh she knows."

"Then why would she stay?"

"Why does any girl?" He chuckled. "I don't know if your hatred for him blinds you, but he is a very beautiful young man."

I giggled, feeling too tired to deny it. "He's beautiful, but he's full of rage. Underneath all the playfulness and charm he's seething with anger and I seem to be the only one on the receiving end of it."

Remus wore a thoughtful expression as he dwelled on what I'd said. I felt tired although I hadn't been out of bed since yesterday and my eyes were starting to shut on their own accord. "Why does he hate me?" I asked a bit rhetorically.

Remus placed the book back on the nightstand. "I don't think he does." He told me, standing up.

I scoffed, "Sure Remus, and James is a merman."

"I mean it, I don't think he does." He said turning off the lamp by my bedside for me. "Also James would be personally offended if he heard that you thought he couldn't be a merman if he wanted to."

I laughed again, feeling myself beginning to drift off. Remus patted me on the head before taking his leave. I fell asleep soon after he left, still thinking about what he'd said. It made no sense, but Remus was never one to say something ludicrous. That was something James did. However, Remus had made that weird comment about James and Lily earlier so he might be completely mad.

:

The next day for potions I was surprised to find James in my seat next to Lily, both of them laughing over the cauldron. Then I was doubly surprised when she gave me a rubbish excuse about Slughorn needing them to work together because James was so poor at potions. I didn't comment on it though and James gave me a hug when she got up to get supplies from the closet.

"You falling off your broom is the best thing that's ever happened to me." He said pulling away.

I pinched him in the arm. "I had a fever, and anyway who am I supposed to work with now that you've stolen my partner?"

James grinned. "Well I have left you only the most beautiful and charming young man available."

I pinched him again. "You owe me. You both owe me." I said tartly.

I went over to where James usually sat with Sirius to put my bag down before getting the materials for the day's potion as listed on the chalkboard. When I came back Sirius was already waiting for me, his cauldron moved to where mine had been. He was leaning casually against the desk, his hair swept haphazardly back although it wouldn't stay.

"Why'd you switch our cauldrons?"

"Yours was looking a little worn out." He told me, taking some of the jars from me.

"Maybe because I actually use it."

Sirius made a face at me, and Professor Slughorn explained the directions, including the page where we could find them before stalking off to behind his desk again. We were to make a drought of Veritaserum to be used on our partners one lunar cycle from today.

"I knew he'd accomplish it some day." Sirius said, watching James and Lily with a proud gleam in his eye.

I looked over as well to see them laughing again over some unknown joke. "He hasn't 'accomplished' anything yet." I said, taking out a knife to begin chopping the ginger roots needed for the potion.

"Have you got a personal problem with love, Collins?"

"No have you?"

"Obviously," he said, taking the tray of roots from me. "Stop you're cutting them all wrong."

I puffed out my cheeks, potions was not one of my strong suits, which was why I paired up with Lily who had been invited into the slug club for her potions expertise.

Sirius had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hands and forearms moving with deft precision as he cut the roots. "I thought you were terrible at potions." I said skeptically.

"That's James actually. I'm quite good at it." He told me, sliding the diced roots into the cauldron. I watched him stir the liquid clockwise four times, his forehead creased in concentration. Remus' description of him came back to me '_beautiful young man_', I shook my head and turned away from him, fighting back a grin.

On the other side of the class Slughorn gave a shout of pleasure at Severus' cauldron. "Potions genius!" He exclaimed.

In front of Sirius and I, Lily had gone as red as her hair, obviously a bit peeved that he'd been given her favorite pet name.

"You're doing it all wrong Potter just leave it!" she hissed, snatching the ladle away from him. James turned around to look at us, his arms outstretched in confusion. Sirius gave him the thumbs up before Lily snapped at him to turn around and pay attention.

My eyes wandered back over to Severus who was glowering at James and Lily. He irritated me. Even while he was 'friends' with Lily he would always say something snide to me or to Mary. I felt a special hatred for Severus that was completely different from how I felt about Sirius. Sirius at least did not hold to any false pretenses. Sirius was as an asshole all the time and that was why I hated him less, however ironic it was.

I felt my hand tighten around my wand, itching to hex the arrogant look off of Snivellus' face.

Sirius was already ahead of me. As I watched, Severus' hair went from a greasy black to a greasy pink and then to orange.

I was astonished to find that Sirius was doing it all nonverbally, his eyes fixed on the book although under the table his wand was pointed directly at Severus. I felt a smile begin to creep onto my face.

Severus did not notice his hair was changing color and neither did Slughorn who had fallen asleep at his desk, but the rest of the class did and were trying to stifle their laughter.

Severus grew more and more uncomfortable, squirming under the scrutiny of his classmates.

Sirius was sporting a smirk although he still hadn't looked up from the book. "Is it funny?" he whispered to me.

I looked over at him and smiled. "It's a work of art."

Severus started to realize what they were all laughing at and was reaching up to touch his hair, his chalk like face growing red with either anger or embarrassment.

"That's enough Sirius." Lily said coming over to our table. She had a stern look on her face and I was glad I wasn't on the receiving end of it.

Sirius sighed, flicking his wand so that Severus' hair returned to its normal shade of black.

"I didn't need you to do that." Severus snarled at her from across the dungeon. The air seemed to grow thick was tension as they faced each other. They hadn't spoken since last year when he called her a mudblood and I was tense with apprehension. I'd be damned if he called her a mudblood again without walking away with a few broken and or missing limbs.

"Listen you—" James had begun, but Lily cut him off with a look and for once he listened, sitting back down in his seat.

Lily took her time turning to face Severus and I'd say she was doing it on purpose. By now the entire class was watching, the Gryffindors looking quite defensive while the Slytherins just looked ready for a fight.

"I don't give a damn what happens to you Severus," she said evenly. "I'm just fulfilling my role as head girl"

Severus sneered at her, unable to procure a retort. He gathered his books and fled, knocking over his cauldron in his haste. This in turn woke Slughorn who was very confused as to why Severus had spilled his own potion and left, no one bothered to explain it to him.

We didn't talk much for the next half hour or so that it took to finish the potion. I was stunned when Sirius had helped more than once when I'd made a misstep.

After Slughorn came around to check our potions he instructed us to take them into the room adjacent the supplies closet where they would brew for the next twenty-eight days.

"We will then be testing them to see if you made it correctly." He informed us. "If you have, whoever has drank from you potion will be rendered unable to speak a lie, but if you haven't you will find all they can say are lies!" Slughorn said, clapping his hands together. "Be sure to have some questions written down for your partner as you will be staging an interrogation to test your potion's effectiveness. Good day class."

:

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a/n: Hello thank you for reading this second chapter you beautiful things. I am just getting back into the groove of writing again so you'll have to forgive me if these first few chapters seem a bit rough around the edges. I am still looking for a beta if anyone was interested bc I have the worst grammar tbh.

okay please review as I need the feedback

xx


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